News Broadcasting
BPG report recommendations shot down by Jowell
MUMBAI: BBC has received a shot in the arm regarding its uncertainty concerning yesterday’s Broadcasting Policy Group (BPG) report. There were fears that the government might use the report’s charter recommendations to punish the organisation over the recent Iraq dossier, which saw several heads roll last month. The group was asked by the Conservative Party to recommend what should happen when the BBC’s current Royal Charter expires in 2006.
However UK’s secretary of state for culture, media and sport Tessa Jowell gave the thumbs down to suggestions in the report regarding removing the license fee and getting rid of the Beebs governing board.
The report had also recommended splitting the BBC into separate units and also introducing subscription charges for BBC television services. Instead of renewing the Royal Charter, the group had suggested that the BBC’s assets be transferred from 2007 to a new public corporation also called the BBC. However it would be modelled on Channel 4. Ownership would be vested in the communications regulator Ofcom. There would be a mixed board of executive and non-executive directors. The BPG is chaired by former television executive David Elstein.
However a Media Guardian report stated that Jowell felt that the implementation of the Group’s main suggestions were contrary to the vision of a strong and independent BBC. She went on to note that the report was one sided in that it ignored the BBC’s role as a news organisation that constantly strives to maintain accuracy, balance and fairness.
In the report Eistein had said, “We came to the conclusion that this objective could be achieved only through radical change.” The report of the group had been made against the background of Lord Hutton’s observations on supposed weaknesses in BBC journalism, management and governance. Of course Lord Hutton’s report was seen by many as a white wash that sought to completely exonerate the Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The group also stated that it took into account claims that the broadcaster had diluted its role as a public service provider in the rush for higher ratings. It also looked into criticism that the Beeb was abusing its privileged status to compete unfairly with commercial rivals. The group stated that dependence on the licence fee left the BBC at the mercy of the government, which sets the level.
The Group had further noted that the licence fee would in any case become a less reliable source of funding in future because the proliferation of television channels will inevitably reduce the BBC’s audience share. At the same time rapid technological changes would challenge our idea of what constitutes a television set.
From 2007, the Group recommended that some digitally transmitted BBC television services be gradually funded from subscription. It recommended that the licence fee be correspondingly reduced, perhaps from around 130 to 100 in 2007, and eventually down to perhaps 50. This process would encourage, and help fund, the take-up of digital receiving equipment.
It also suggested that from 2007 distribution and television programme production be hived off. Once analogue transmissions cease, television broadcasting should also be separated from the rest of the BBC and freed to operate primarily as a pay-TV business.
News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
